Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-14
BoYHooD OF HOBART PAsHA.
An Unpleasant Experience on Shipboard.
Climbing to the Masthead.

| An Unpleasant Experience on Shipboard.
/ Climbing to the Masthead.
| As midshipnan his start in life was
rough one. with very unpleasant cousin for
g captain
Il shall never forget his first words. He
was a handsome young fellow with fine fea-
/ lures, darkened, however. By a deep scowl
/ As he stepDed over the side he greeted Us by
/ saving 70 the first lieutenant In loud voice:
/ Put all my boats crew in irons for neglect
/ of duty 1t seems that one of them kept
/ him waiting for couple Of minutes when he
/ came down to embark. After giving this or
/ der the captain honored the officers who re-
/ ceived him with q naughty bow. read aloud
I his commission and retired TO his cabin. hav-
/ ing ordered the anchor 70 be weighed in two
/ hours.
/ Accordingly. at O'Clock we stood on. to
/ sea the weather being fine and wind favor
able At II all hands were called to attend
the punishment of the captains boats crew.
| cannot describe the horror with which I
| witnessed six fine sailor-like looking fellows
torn by the frightful cat for having kept
their officer waiting a few minutes on the
pier
But the boys own turn came next For
getting in the way, or crying (he was not 10.
or in some way vexing the tyrant,' he was
at once nastheaded-
Go to the masthead indeed. with fresh
ening wind under whose influence the shin
was beginning to keel over, and an increasing
sea that made her jump about like an acrobat,
l had not got my sea legs, and this feat
seemed an utter impossibiHty TO me looked
with horror up aloft; then came over me the
remembrance of Marryat'; story of the lad
who refused to go to the masthead. and who
was hoisted up by the signal halyards. While
thinking Of this another Well. sir. WHY don't
you obey orClers.' started me into the lower
rigging, which, | began with the greatest
difficulty to climb, expecting at every step 10
60 he&dlong overheard A good natured
sailor, seeing the fix was in, gave me a help
ing hand, and up | crawled as far as the
naintOp. This, l must explain to NV non
nautical reader is not the masthead. but q
comparatively comfortable half wav resting
place, from whence one can look about feel
ing somewhat secure. On looking down TO
the deck my heart bled to see the poor sailor
who had helped me undergoing punishment
for his kind act | heard myself at the same
time Ordered TO go higher and little higher
| did 60. Then | stopped, frightened TO
death, and almost senseless: terror, however
seemed TO give me presence of mind to cling
on, and there remained TIL some hours af
terward; then | was called down. On reach
ing the deck | tainted, and knew no more
till l awoke after some time in my hammock
For three years he suffered, but with 50
little harm to his spirit, that on coming home
and being offered lift to London from
Portsmouth in his cousins carriage, he tells
Us:
Full of disgust and horror at the very
sight Of him, l replied that l would rather
crawl home on my hands and knees than go
in his carriage and SO ended our acduain5-
ance. for never saw him again The Lon
don Standard.